A KCRA 3 investigation found that multiple Sacramento City Council members have given taxpayer dollars, which are part of their discretionary funds, to Planned Parenthood.

A KCRA 3 investigation found that multiple Sacramento City Council members have given taxpayer dollars, which are part of their discretionary funds, to Planned Parenthood.

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Updated: 11:02 PM PST Dec 17, 2014

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WEBVTT TONIGHT KCRA 3 INVESTIGATES, TAXPAYER MONEY GETTING DONATED TO ORGANIZATIONS LIKE PLANNED PARENTHOOD. I DON'T THINK THEY AS ELECTED OFFICIALS SHOULD SPEND WHERE THEY PLEASE. TONIGHT WE LEARNED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN DISCRETIONARY SPENDING BY THE SACRAMENTO CITY COUNCIL HAS CAUGHT THE ATTENTION OF THE SACRAMENTO COUNTY GRAND JURY. THEY ARE STARTING A FORMAL INQUIRY IN LIGHT OF OUR INVESTIGATION. TONIGHT KCRA 3'S KEVIN OLIVER EXAMINES WHICH ORGANIZATIONS ARE GETTING TAXPAYER MONEY. CITY COUNCILMEMBER ANGELIQUE IS AMONG THE MOST FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE OF HER COLLEAGUES. COMPARED TO OTHER COUNCIL MEMBERS -- LAST YEAR SHE SPENT THE LEAST, ABOUT $35,000 ON COMMUNITY SERVICE PROGRAMS AND LOCAL EVENTS. BUT THAT INCLUDES GIVING TAX DOLLARS TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD -- WHEN WE ASKED ABOUT THAT DONATION IT LED TO THIS. I DONATED TO A SCHOLARSHIP FUND -- THE MONEY I GAVE ONLY FOR A SCHOLARSHIP FUND FOR YOUNG SINGLE MOMS TO GO TO COLLEGE. AT ONE POINT IN MY LIFE THAT WAS ME SO I HOPE IN DOING SO AT SOME OF THOSE YOUNG WOMEN GROW UP AND LOVE THEIR CITY ENOUGH TO COME BACK AND RUN FOR CITY COUNCIL. HERE YOU GO. SHE ISN'T ALONE. IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, EVERY CITO COUNCILMEMBER -- CITY COUNCILMEMBER GAVE DISCRETIONARY FUNDS TO PLANNED PARENTHOOD. IDLE THINK AN ELECTED OFFICIAL SHOULD HAVE THE ABILITY TO SPEND WITH A PLEASED. SACRAMENTO RESIDENT AND MOTHER SAYS SHE DOES NOT WANT HER TAX DOLLARS GOING TO THE PLANT HEARD OF THE PROGRAM PERIOD. IF IT IS NOT ANNOUNCED -- YOU FOUND IT BUT I DIDN'T KNOW BEFORE THAT. MOST OF THE MONEY WENT TO A SCHOLARSHIP FUND AND A PROGRAM THAT'S PROVIDED SUPPORT GROUPS. PLANNED PARENTHOOD SAYS THE TEEN SUCCESS PROGRAM COSTS $50,000 HE YEAR TO HELP 12 MOTHERS. A SPOKESPERSON WAS NOT AVAILABLE TO COMMENT ON CAMERA BUT SAID WE GET A GREAT DEAL OF FUNDING FROM TAX DOLLARS -- EDUCATION REDUCES A LOT OF TAXPAYER COSTS. AT THE MONEY NEVER VOTED ON. I THINK OF PEOPLE ARE AWARE OF IT -- YOU WOULD HAVE AN OVERWHELMING AMOUNT OF PEOPLE SHOWING UP AT THE MEETING TO COMPLAIN. YOU HAVE CALLS TO THEIR OFFICES AND YOU WOULD HAVE LONG LINES IF THERE WAS AN OPEN FORUM FOR PEOPLE TO DISCUSS -- IT WOULD BE A BIG ISSUE. BUT COUNCIL NUMBER STEVE COHEN DEFENDED USING DISCRETIONARY FUNDS FOR THE PROGRAMS. IN AN E-MAIL HE SAID -- I BELIEVE THAT IT IS AN UNDENIABLY WORTHY COMMUNITY PURPOSE AND THESE FUNDS DO NOT GO TO ABORTIONS OR OTHER CONTROVERSIAL PROGRAMMING. PLANNED PARENTHOOD OFFICIALS SAYS IT IS THEIR POLICY TO KEEP FUNDING EDUCATIONAL PROGRAM SEPARATE FROM OTHER SERVICES. IT INVITES CONCERNED -- SACRAMENTO STATE PROFESSOR CHARLES SAYS CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS AREN'T GOING TO BE ABLE TO MAKE EVERYBODY HAPPY WHEN DECIDING HOW TO SPEND. THAT'S ALWAYS A PROBLEM IN DEMOCRACY -- SOMETIMES THE CITY WILL PURCHASE THINGS RUN VENDOR THAT SOME PEOPLE DON'T THINK SHOULD BE BOUGHT FROM BUT IT MAY HAVE BEEN THE BEST OFFER. HE SAYS THERE ARE WAYS TO ALLEVIATE CONCERNS ABOUT TAX MONEY TO ORGANIZATIONS THAT FUNDS -- SOME FIND CONTROVERSIAL BY ESTABLISHING CLEAR POLICIES OR CITIZEN COMMISSIONS. THAT'S WHY I THINK IT IS BETTER TO HAVE RULES UPFRONT THAT ARE DEBATED LIKELY AND THEN YOU'RE JUST APPLYING THE RULES TO THE INDIVIDUAL CASES. TWO GROUPS ARE TRYING TO GET THE CITY TO ENACT SEVERAL REFORM MEASURES INCLUDING AN ETHICS CODE AND CITIZEN COMMISSION TO IMPROVE TRANSPARENCY. PLANNED PARENTHOOD ISN'T THE ONLY ORGANIZATION TO RECEIVE THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS FROM THE DISCRETIONARY FUND. TOMORROW NIGHT AT 10:00 WE WILL LOOK AT OTHER GROUPS WHO NOT

Sac Council members give tax dollars to Planned Parenthood

A KCRA 3 investigation found that multiple Sacramento City Council members have given taxpayer dollars, which are part of their discretionary funds, to Planned Parenthood.